Method and device for packaging substantially flat products in a box

ABSTRACT

A device for packaging substantially flat products ( 1 ) in a box ( 2 ), comprising a guide and a stop having a surface ( 7 ) perpendicular to said guide, said stop surface ( 7 ) being perpendicular to said guide, wherein a slot ( 8 ) extends between the end of said guide and said stop surface  7 ), means for holding a box ( 2 ) at the other side of said guide with its opening towards the slot, a reciprocating push member ( 23 ) arranged to push one or more products ( 1 ) through said slot ( 8 ) into said box ( 2 )  with each reciprocating movement, guide means ( 51 ) arranged to guide said products ( 1 ) into said box ( 2 ) such that they rest with one side against the bottom of the box and with their flat front side against a first end wall of the box ( 2 ) or against the flat back side of the one or more products that were previously pushed into the box, and box guidance means arranged to allow movement of the box relative to said slot from a start position to an end position such that the products fill the box from said first end wall towards the opposite end wall.

The invention relates to a method for packaging substantially flat products in a box. In particular the invention relates to packaging paper booklets or folded papers in a carton box, said box having the width and height of one product, and a length so as to contain a multitude of said products, for instance at least 20, 50 or more products.

Currently such paper booklets or folded papers are put in the carton boxes manually. A need therefore exists for a low cost, high speed, reliable and/or efficient method which reduces the manual labour needed.

In order to achieve these goals, the invention provides a device comprising a guide and a stop having a surface perpendicular to said guide, wherein a slot extends between the end of said guide and said stop surface, means for holding a box at the other side of said guide with its opening towards the slot, a reciprocating push member arranged to push one or more products through said slot into said box with each reciprocating movement, guide means arranged to guide said products into said box such that they rest with one side against the bottom of the box and with their flat front side against a first end wall of the box or against the flat back side of the one or more products that were previously pushed into the box, and box guidance means arranged to allow movement of the box relative to said slot from a start position to an end position such that the products fill the box from said first end wall towards the opposite end wall.

Said products are preferably pushed through said slot by a push member which is plate shaped and has substantially the same thickness as the one or more products, i.e. the width of the slot.

Preferably said guide means extend from said slot towards and into the intended position of the opening of the box, and at least at its end extends obliquely towards the intended position of the first end wall of the box.

Preferably the box is moved in the direction of the continuous product flow or in the opposite direction. To that end the guide means for guiding the products into the box can extend from either the guide or from the stop. Preferably the box is moved by said products being pushed into the box.

When said box is filled with products and at the end position, in the preferred embodiment the movement of the push member is temporarily stopped while the filled box is being exchanged for an empty box at the start position.

The invention also relates to a method for packaging substantially flat products in a box, wherein said products are transported along a guide towards the surface of a stop in a continuous flow wherein said products extend adjacent one another with their flat sides against each other, said stop surface being perpendicular to said guide, wherein a slot having a width of one or more products extends between the end of said guide and said stop surface, wherein a box is placed at the other side of said guide with its opening towards the slot, wherein repeatedly one or more products are pushed through said slot and guided into said box such that they rest with one side against the bottom of the box and with their flat front side against a first end wall of the box or against the flat back side of the one or more products that were previously pushed into the box, wherein the box is moved relative to said slot from a start position to an end position such that the products fill the box from said first end wall towards the opposite end wall.

The invention will now be illustrated by means of an embodiment as shown in the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front/left view of a device for packaging booklets in boxes;

FIG. 2 is a perspective front/right view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective back view of the device of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4A-F are cross-sectional views of a detail of the device of FIG. 1 in various stages of operation.

According to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the device for packaging booklets 1 in carton boxes 2 comprises a frame 3 arranged to stand on a floor. The frame 3 is connected to a transport gutter 4, on which the folded paper booklets 1 are fed in a substantially continuous flow to the device in their upright position with their back and front sides against one another. A horizontal booklet guide platform 5 and two lateral horizontal guide rails 6 are arranged adjacent the gutter 4, for guiding the flow of booklets 1 to a vertical stop surface 7 at the end of the guide platform 5. Between the end of the guide platform 5 and the stop surface 7 a gap 8 is provided, said gap having the width of one or several booklets 1. Under said gap 8, on the bottom side of the outer end of the guide platform 5, two booklet guide strips 51 are mounted. Said guide strips 51 have a bent outer end and extend downward and slightly forward up to the vertical plane at the other side of the gap 8.

A movable stop 9 is movable between both ends of the guide platform 5, and is connected with a weight 11 by a wire 10 which runs over a pulley 12. Through the wire, the weight 11 exerts a force on the front booklet 1, such that it is maintained upright, in order to guide the front of the flow of booklets from the gutter 4 to the stop surface 7. The stop surface 7 is provided with a recess for incorporating the movable stop 9, and an electronic push-button is provided in said recess, such that if said movable stop 9 moves into said recess a motor 13 of the device is put into motion.

The frame is further provided with a box carrying platform 14, which is located under the booklet guide platform 5. The box carrying platform 14 is movable in vertical direction by a pneumatic cylinder 15, in order to place the boxes 2 in the correct position under the booklet guide platform 5 for being filled with booklets. A sloping feeder 16 with lateral guides is located adjacent the carrying platform 14, on which a carton box 2 to be filled can be placed manually. Movable holding elements 17 hold the box on the sloping feeder 16 until a signal is received that the box can be released onto the carrying platform 14. The holding elements then move upwards so that the box 2 slides down onto the carrying platform 14 and then the box 2 is pushed by pusher elements 18 in the correct position against a guide rail 19 and against an end stop 20. The carrying platform 14 is then moved upwards by the cylinder 15 so that the bent outer ends of guide strips 51 reach down into the box 2, against the inner front side 21 thereof at about two thirds of its height.

As the box is being filled with booklets 1, as will be described below, the box is being moved forward. The number of booklets in the box is counted, and when the box is full and in its end position, the motor 13 is temporarily stopped, for a maximum of 5 seconds. The box carrying platform 14 is lowered by the cylinder 15, and a bumper 22 pushed the box towards the front of the device, where it is taken out manually. A new, empty box 2 is simultaneously released from the feeder 16, and placed in the correct position. After the carrying platform is raised, the motor 13 is started again.

Motor 13 rotates a disc 28, on which a crank 22 is mounted, and which crank moves a plate shaped push member 23 up and down along and against the stop surface 7. The push member 23 has a thickness that is slightly smaller than the width of the gap 8, so that it can push the one or more booklets 1 out of the flow and through said gap 8, into the box 2, as shown in FIGS. 4A-F. In this example one booklet 1 is pushed into the box with each rotation. Caused by the shape and orientation of the guide strips 51 with each insertion of a booklet 1 in the box 2, the box 2 moves the thickness of one booklet 1 forward. A movable stop 24 pushes against the front side of the box 2 by the force of a second weight 25 through a second wire 26 which runs over a second pulley 26, so that the booklets 1 are maintained in said box 2 in the upright position and under a predetermined pressure. A sensor 27 counts the number of rotations of the disc 28 between each box exchange, so that the motor 13 is switched off after a predetermined number of booklets is in the box 2.

It will be appreciated that, as shown in the figures, the locations of all guide rails, platforms and stops can be adjusted for adaptation to different sizes of booklets and boxes. 

1. A device for packaging substantially flat products in a box, comprising a guide and a stop having a surface perpendicular to said guide, wherein a slot extends between the end of said guide and said stop surface, means for holding a box at the other side of said guide with its opening towards the slot, a reciprocating push member arranged to push one or more products through said slot into said box with each reciprocating movement, guide means arranged to guide said products into said box such that they rest with one side against the bottom of the box and with their flat front side against a first end wall of the box or against the flat back side of the one or more products that were previously pushed into the box, and box guidance means arranged to allow movement of the box relative to said slot from a start position to an end position such that the products fill the box from said first end wall towards the opposite end wall.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said push member is plate shaped and has substantially the same thickness as the slot.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said guide means extend from said slot towards and into the intended position of the opening of the box, and at least at its end extends obliquely towards the intended position of the first end wall of the box.
 4. Method for packaging substantially flat products in a box, wherein said products are transported along a guide towards the surface of a stop in a continuous flow wherein said products extend adjacent one another with their flat sides against each other, said stop surface being perpendicular to said guide, wherein a slot having a width of one or more products extends between the end of said guide and said stop surface, wherein a box is placed at the other side of said guide with its opening towards the slot, wherein repeatedly one or more products are pushed through said slot and guided into said box such that they rest with one side against the bottom of the box and with their flat front side against a first end wall of the box or against the flat back side of the one or more products that were previously pushed into the box, wherein the box is moved relative to said slot from a start position to an end position such that the products fill the box from said first end wall towards the opposite end wall.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the box is moved in the direction of the continuous product flow.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the box is moved by said products being pushed into the box.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein said products are pushed through said slot by a push member which is plate shaped and has substantially the same thickness as the one or more products.
 8. The method of claim 4, wherein, if said box is filled with products and at the end position, the movement of a push member is temporarily stopped while the filled box is being exchanged for an empty box at the start position.
 9. The method of claim 4, wherein said box is a carton box.
 10. The method of claim 4, wherein said box has the width and height of one product.
 11. The method of claim 4, wherein said box has a length so as to contain at least 20 of said products.
 12. The method of claim 4, wherein said products are paper booklets or folded papers.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein said guide means extend from said slot towards and into the intended position of the opening of the box, and at least at its end extends obliquely towards the intended position of the first end wall of the box.
 14. The method of claim 4, wherein the box is moved by said products being pushed into the box.
 15. The method of claim 5, wherein said products are pushed through said slot by a push member which is plate shaped and has substantially the same thickness as the one or more products.
 16. The method of claim 6, wherein said products are pushed through said slot by a push member which is plate shaped and has substantially the same thickness as the one or more products.
 17. The method of claim 5, wherein, if said box is filled with products and at the end position, the movement of a push member is temporarily stopped while the filled box is being exchanged for an empty box at the start position.
 18. The method of claim 6, wherein, if said box is filled with products and at the end position, the movement of a push member is temporarily stopped while the filled box is being exchanged for an empty box at the start position.
 19. The method of claim 7, wherein, if said box is filled with products and at the end position, the movement of the push member is temporarily stopped while the filled box is being exchanged for an empty box at the start position.
 20. The method of claim 4, wherein said box has a length so as to contain at least 50 of said products. 